Results tagged “restaurants” from Belltowner

As you may remember us mentioning before, there was talk of a proposed law to make it easier for restaurants to attain permits to add outdoor dining patios. Everyone I talked to about it seemed very pleased. Outdoor dining = fun. Am I right? Well it seems the Seattle Community Council Federation doesn't seem to agree. The Council, which is made up of neighborhood activists, is voicing their concerns that the cafe proposal won't protect pedestrians. There are complaints as it is about the tree growing in the middle of the sidewalk outside of Shorty's on 2nd, and that if more cafe's are added to Belltown, pedestrians will have to "weave" even more than they do now.

I'm a little irritated with these concerns. It's not like restaurants would build the dining patios smack dab in the center of sidewalks. Come on. People "weave" around the cafe filled streets of Europe all the time, and they seem to be doing just fine.

I think this is turning into a bigger deal than it needs to be. Sidewalk cafes add flair and personality to a city and encourage people to get out more and mingle.

Click here for more information on "The Great Sidewalk Debate."

Ever thought of getting a part time server job? It's an excellent way to make some extra cash on the weekends. Belltown is home to some of the city's swankiest restaurants, and a couple of them are currently on the lookout for a few good servers.

Black Bottle is currently seeking weekend lunch servers.

Brasa is seeking servers with extensive food & wine knowledge.

Click here to check out more serving opportunities in the area.

Apparently the owner of Buckley's Pub on lower Queen Anne is planning on opening a larger Buckley's next door to Tavolata in Belltown. In case you've never been, Buckley's is known for being a popular hangout during sports events, as well as a friendly neighborhood pub good for quick satisfying lunches and dinners. The owner insists they attract a friendly and low key crowd. "We have 86'ed some people from here. We don't like troublemakers or idiots, we send them on their way, and that's where I think we do a great job."

I think it should make a nice addition to the Belltown neighborhood. No word on an exact date for when the new Belltown Buckley's is set to emerge, but stay tuned.

Click here to see Buckley's website.

Spur Gastropub, 113 Blanchard St., gets a nice write-up in today's Seattle PI. There's a really cool photo of bartender David Nelson literally firing up a drink of bourbon, raspberries, orange juice and bitters, in which he cooks the raspberries in the glass.

Kushibar, a Japanese street food restaurant, had a very busy opening day today.

The place was packed at about 6 p.m. The kitchen staff was juggling a TON of orders, including the tasty seafood flight of grilled tuna, salmon, whitefish, shrimp and eel:

Here's a tip: There are two bars - the traditional drinking kind and the grill bar, where you get a front row seat to watch chef Billy Beach, fresh from Umi Sake house, and his crew churn out dish after dish, like the ika teppo: Delectable squid stuffed with salmon and asparagus that's grilled and finished over oak coals.

The photos don't do the food justice, but what do you expect from a cell phone cam?
There are a number of bites sure to intrigue the more adventurous eaters, including the beef heart (it tastes like rich, chewy beef. Yum.) and various chicken parts including gizzards, skin and hearts.
They've got a way to go to smoothly juggle the press of orders, but if you're not in a hurry, it's a worth checking out for a toothsome spin on Asian food in Belltown.

Marjorie, located in the MGM Building mentioned in the post below, has lost its lease after nearly six years and is looking for a new location.

They'll wrap up at their current location Sept. 6 with a wine dinner, details TBA.

There's no doubt about it. Umi Sake House is one of the best places to get sushi in not only Belltown but the entire city. Lucky for us, owner Steven Han and his executive chef Billy Beach are opening a new restaurant in Belltown.

The new restaurant, Kushibar, has a concept of Japanese street food that is "sure to satisfy many a culinary explorer about town." Says Han of his new menu full of grilled meat and noodles, "True foodies and novices alike will welcome it and Billy and I can hardly wait to introduce the menu. It is something that we both enjoy when we travel to New York and San Francisco and have wanted to bring back to this city for some time."

I don't know about you but I can hardly wait. Kushibar is expected to open in mid-August and will be located at 2319 2nd Avenue. For more information check out their soon to be launched website: www.kushibar.com

feature about Seattle's nightclub scene. Belltown is described as a spot for "posh restaurants" pointing out some of their favorite restaurants to be Le Pichet and Cascadia. The article describes Amber bar as having "two floors of beautiful furnishings and even more beautiful people."

That's the kind of news we like to read about Belltown! Let's make a habit of making headlines more like this and avoid the butcher knife throwing ones ok?

I don't think I speak for myself when I say losing Belltown's favorite 24 hour restaurant was devastating. I kept wondering who would be taking over the old Minnies as I walked by and saw people building things and bustling around. Last week I was thrilled to see that there is a new 24 hour diner which has opened. They describe themselves as a "quirky contemporary diner." According to some reviews on Yelp, their grand opening didn't go so well. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will work the kinks out over time.

You may have noticed that there were no Pho restaurants in Belltown. The perfect cheap hot steaming meal. Well, Belltowners don't have to drive all the way to the International District for some pho. Black Bottle, is now serving an elegant pho made with beef brisket that's braised to medium-rare, then roasted to order. Their Pho is packed to the top with a huge amount of meat.

Black Bottle's delicious Pho is a mere $7.

Perhaps you've been wondering what will become of the space which was previously home to Mistral restaurant on Blanchard between 1st and 2nd. Sources say a new Gastropub is on its way to take over The name of the new restaurant/bar called Spur. Spur as in cowboy spur. Hopefully it turns out to be a great new Belltown hotspot!

As the weather warms up, outdoor seating becomes more crucial. There's nothing quite like spending a warm Friday afternoon sipping on something cold on a Belltown patio. I decided to go take a walk around Belltown and scope out some good ones. Here are a few that I noticed looked particularly cozy:

Macrina Bakery, Amber, Del Ray, Black Bottle, The Apartment, Marjorie, Belltown Bistro, Belltown Pizza, Amore, Mama's, La Fontana, Viceroy, Shorty's, and Le Pichet.

I must say my personal pick goes to La Fontana. It's a beautiful enclosed area with a soothing water fountain. Not to mention the food is stellar.

That is the question that Seattlest brings up now that Belltown's top three fine dining restaurants, Mistral, Lampreia, and Cascadia, will all be closed by the end of summer. Apparently all their owner-chefs are all off to pursue new projects.

Seattlest ponders over whether places like Belltown's Del Ray with a dark atmosphere live music and a line out the door could be the future of Belltown's fine dining.

I'd like to believe that some new groundbreaking restaurant will appear and sweep us all off of our feet. You never know...

I let out a genuine "you don't say," after reading in The Stranger that Belltown's Zoë restaurant is related to Capitol Hill's Quinn's restaurant. Apparently the owners named Zoë after their daughter, and Quinn's after their son.

Gosh. You have to admit that's pretty cute.

I personally haven't eaten in either of the locations yet, but I do know that both of them are almost always packed.

The Stranger votes Quinn's over Zoë saying, "...I expected to love them equally, for different reasons, just like their parents would doubtless say they do. But all things considered, Quinn's outshone lovely Zoë. Sorry, sister."

I tend to take most reviews I read in The Stranger with a grain of salt as I find them to be oftentimes overly critical. That said, I think I'll have to check things out for myself.

Leslie Kelly of Seattle P-I writes of the burrito restaurant located at 4th and Wall, "This stuffed-tortilla spot in Belltown hits all the right notes: wraps rolled around offbeat fillings, a crew that seems chatty and eager to please, tunes cranked up loud enough so the cafe truly does rock."

All of their burritos are named after musical icons from "The Jon Bon Jovi" burrito to the "ABBA" burrito. Perhaps Rockin' Burrito is the quick inexpensive lunch you've been waiting for.

I recently learned that Mama's Mexican Kitchen offers tofu fajitas on their menu.

I'm not really sure what to think about that. It seems a sin to subtract sizzling meat from a fajitas recipe. However I'd like to consider myself an open minded kind of lady, so I guess I'll have to try them.

Perhaps while I'm at it I should suggest that they consider renaming them, "fujitas".

Mmmm! It's time for that culinary adventure you've been waiting for. Seattle food tours gives you not only a look at Pike Place Market and Belltown's gourmet restaurants, but also shopping, art, history and nightlife. Already know your way around? This may be a perfect activity to suggest to a friend visiting from out of town.

For more information on how to purchase tickets go here.

Have you heard about Cache, a private "underground" dinner club in Belltown? "Cache is one of the best dinner experiences I've had," writes Katherine at CitizenRain. "We arrived to find a group of about 12 guests -- most didn't know each other. And we all ate together at a one communal table in a funky space (I can't divulge the address -- the secrecy is part of the fun)."

You can sign up on Cache's site for reservations, but it looks like they're sold out for a month or two.

"I have never been to Spain, but I love the concept that Txori has. Great food in small bites so that you can give everything a try. I went to Txori with my boyfriend and we could not stop ordering. The staff was very attentive and was ready to take your order when you want more. Not only was the food presented well but it tasted fabulous as well. They have some fun cocktail drinks as well as a great wine list. Great atmosphere, great food, and great service all at a great price. What else can you ask for?"

Txori
2207 2nd Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121
206.204.9771

It's another lazy Saturday night as a Belltowner. Cooking sounds about as appealing as licking a toad, and grabbing take-out at any downtown restaurant after 6pm is seriously out of the question as far as parking goes. Sounds like delivery is the answer!

Alright, now let's look at our options: we've got pizza or... pizza... or perhaps you'd like a little pizza?

As much as we all love ourselves a little Pagliacci now and then, enough is enough. My fellow Belltowners, I present to you a sparkling solution for your lazy Saturday night dinner.

Restaurants ToGo

RestaurantsToGo provides restaurant food delivery & catering service. They offer a variety of food cuisines from fifty different Seattle restaurants. Delivery hours are 6:30am - 10:00pm Monday through Friday and 4:00pm - 10:00pm on Saturday and Sunday. There is a $15.00 minimum food order required for all deliveries and a $7.99 fee for residential deliveries to downtown Seattle. Orders typically arrive in around an hour.

You can order online or by calling 206-443-8646.